Chapter 328: Deep-Rooted Connections
Wei Dabao furtively glanced at the government officials around him holding menacing sticks. His Adam’s apple moved violently as bean-sized sweat beads dripped from his triple-layered fat chin onto the bluestone floor, forming a small puddle.
His fingers clutched the edge of his clothing tightly, causing the expensive brocade fabric to wrinkle fiercely.
He was uncertain whether the affairs with the Champion Marquis’s household were related to the jade pendant he lent Han Lei, but without the pendant at hand, he couldn’t explain now!
If only he’d had the foresight not to let his greed get the better of him then, when he rashly lent out the pendant.
“Han Lei?”
Just as Wei Dabao’s voice fell, Princess Changle abruptly rose from her seat, the pearls on her golden hairpin shaking violently. “You know Han Lei?”
Her voice suddenly heightened, the tail note trembling unnaturally. Her delicate fingers unconsciously dug into her palm; this long-buried name was like a dull knife, forcibly tearing open her scabbed wound.
Frightened by her sudden authority, Wei Dabao shrank back, his back heavily hitting the official’s sword behind him.
“Not… not very well,” he mumbled.
“Ridiculous.” Princess Changle, as if hearing a hilarious joke, rebuked without thinking: “Since you don’t know her well, how could you easily lend your family’s jade pendant to an outsider?”
Saying this, Princess Changle turned to the rest of the Wei Family: “You tell me, would you easily give your family’s jade pendant to a stranger you’re not familiar with?”
The Wei Family members shook their heads insistently, with Mrs. Wei bowing heavily on the floor, her silver-gray hair bun losing a few strands.
“Princess, be aware, our Wei Family’s ancestral rule states that as long as the pendant remains, its owner stays alive; if lost, the owner perishes! It would never be lent outside.”
“It’s… it’s true. That day Han Lei said… she could partner up with me in business, so I…” Wei Dabao said urgently.
“Ha!”
Princess Changle laughed in anger, but her cold smile, paired with her somber clothing, made her look ominous and frightening.
“Your Wei Family is a distinguished one with wealth and power, and you would choose to do business with Han Lei, a lowly woman from a remote poor village? Would you believe it yourself saying that?”
Wei Dabao was on the verge of tears: “I believe it, it’s true! She wanted to open a shop in the Capital City…”
Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, Princess Changle interrupted him with her sharp voice.
“Nonsense, if it were Han Lei, how could she have commanded the Wei Family’s Protector to escort her out of town? Do you think this Commandery Princess is blind? Han Lei is a woman, but the one who caused the death of my entire family that day was a pudgy man, resembling you quite a bit.”
“Resembling me?”
Wei Dabao incredulously pointed at his own nose. Such a ludicrous accusation made him feel cold all over, as if suddenly falling into an ice abyss.
“No, I truly gave it to Han Lei, the County Magis…”
He crawled forward a few steps, wanting to say County Magistrate Luo Hai could testify, but before he could finish, the crisp sound of a gavel echoed in the main hall.
“Clack!”
Sun Wenlin, the Chief Judge of the Ministry of Justice, sat up straight, his bloodshot eyes sweeping across the hall, his face beneath the black hat looking alarmingly haggard.
Unable to solve the case, he hadn’t slept well for half a month, and his temples now throbbed painfully.
“Enough, the more you speak, the more outrageous it becomes. Such flawed lies…” Sun Wenlin impatiently rebuked.
He was eager for the case to conclude soon so he could get a good night’s sleep.
Wearily rubbing his brow, he waved to the southern gate guard standing beside him: “Mr. Liu, step forward and identify the person.”
The uniformed Mr. Liu hesitantly stepped forward, his rough fingers unconsciously rubbing the hilt of his waist sword.
Wei Dabao stared at him, and he widened his eyes in return, carefully recalling the scene from that night, comparing it with the familiar outline before nodding.
Actually, the person inside the carriage only lifted the curtain slightly that night, so he couldn’t see clearly.
But he was sure he saw just such a round, plump triple chin.
Seeing that Mr. Liu identified him, tears instantly welled up in Princess Changle’s eyes.
She looked toward Emperor Jing and knelt, pointing at Wei Dabao and cried, “Your Majesty, Mr. Liu has confirmed it is him. He’s not daring to produce the jade pendant because he’s obviously lying. It was him, it must be him who caused my family’s demise. Please, Your Majesty, seek justice for Changle!”
“Ah?” Wei Dabao was instantly frightened out of his wits, hurriedly bowing to Emperor Jing, pleading his innocence: “Your Majesty, they’re slandering me, it wasn’t me, it truly wasn’t me.”
Emperor Jing sat above, secretly furrowing his brow.
Han Lei is now the Princess Consort of King of Cangzhou, and cannot enter the Capital without an edict. Even if she did come to the Capital, his Hidden Guard would have reported to him immediately, but he hasn’t received any such messages.